Jaffe 2004

Methods	Parallel‐group design Concealed randomisation of participants to groups by using an Excel spreadsheet with group allocation masked using black cells 15% drop outs at the end of the treatment phase and 15% drop outs at the end of the 2‐week follow‐up Blinding of outcome assessors to group allocation
Participants	11 participants in the EXP group and 12 participants in the CTL group Inclusion criteria: at least 6 months post stroke; hemiplegia secondary to documented lesion; able to walk independently or with stand‐by supervision (with or without a gait aid); asymmetric gait pattern and short step length; 'average' or 'minimal impairment' in all Cognistat test categories; informed consent Exclusion criteria: any medical condition that would prevent participation in a training programme; inability to follow instructions
Interventions	Treated as outpatients for 6 x 1‐hour sessions per week for 2 weeks Virtual reality and treadmill training (EXP): participants practiced stepping over virtual objects while walking on a treadmill, with a harness to prevent falls (each session consisted of 12 trials of stepping over 10 obstacles) Overground training (CTL): participants practiced stepping over real objects while walking overground, with a gait belt for safety (each session consisted of 12 trials of stepping over 10 obstacles; task‐oriented)
Outcomes	Assessed at baseline, after treatment phase and 2 weeks later: independent preferred walking speed over 6 m with or without a gait aid (supervision, but not personal assistance, was provided) independent fast walking speed over 6 m with or without a gait aid (supervision, but not personal assistance, was provided) walking endurance ‐ maximum distance walked in 6 minutes with or without a gait aid (supervision, but not personal assistance, was provided) spatial and temporal gait variables ability to clear obstacles
Notes	Rating of concealed allocation, assessor blinding and drop outs, and the allocation concealment classification were changed based on correspondence from the trialist
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	High risk	Method not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Unclear concealed randomisation
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Blinding of outcome assessors to group allocation